There’s no question about it. There are many ways to make money online and one of the most effective ways to do so is through search engine optimization. It’s a basic marketing principle that the bigger the audience that your business is able to attract, the higher the likelihood of raking in more sales.
Because of this, many website owners eye the top Google search result spot. This makes search engine optimization experts a hot item on the market because not many people know how SEO works.
While this presents an opportunity for these experts to earn and for businesses to grow, this demand for SEO experts also becomes a breeding ground for unscrupulous people who seek to take advantage of those people who are easily blinded by false promises and substandard work. And all this happens because they don’t know any better.
Well, ladies, this isn’t happening to any of you. Not if I can help it! So, how do you screen the honest expert from the shady character?
By asking the right questions:
How do you plan to improve my search engine ranking?
A carpenter knows his tools well and so should the SEO expert. This question gives you insight on whether or not a candidate adheres to Google’s best practices. The reason why this is important is that bad SEO practices may net you quick results (if they even do) but these results will not last and your website will be penalized for employing blackhat SEO tactics.This may come in the form of Google lowering your ranking or worse, by not even indexing your website at all, both of which are bad for your business. Always remember that a good franchise SEO will not let this happen to you.
Can you guarantee me a top rank?
This is what one would refer to as a “disqualifying question”. This is a type of question that seeks to weed out those who are not qualified or appropriate to hold this particular position on your team.
Nobody knows how the search engine algorithm works. And because of this, nobody can guarantee that your website will reach a specific rank. Scammers will often try to lure you by this type of promise. If they claim that they can guarantee that you’re going to rank high, walk away.
By being vigilant:
Read the contract
Sometimes, a candidate may seem like the perfect one for the job. But, as the old saying goes, “it’s not over ‘til it’s over.”
Read your contract properly. Read the fine print. Sometimes, scammers will provide good services only to inform you that there’s a provision in the contract that states that any changes and additions to your website will be considered theirs, which basically means that you literally get your website taken over.
Ask for references and previous clients
There isn’t a more objective assessment of a candidate than one that is made by a previous client. A lack of previous clients (or the refusal to use them as references) can only mean two things: either the candidate lacks experience or the candidate failed to produce results. Either way, you don’t want this person handling something as important as your business website.
